Mathematical model and heat conduction analysis of a silicon-based thermoelectric enzyme sensor

The finite element method (FEM) employed to model the temperature field in a heated silicon plane was discussed, since optimum designing of the micro-silicon structure would be the basis of a micro-machined silicon-based thermal biosensor. In this research, the heat flow originally generated by the enzymatic reaction was conducted in the anisotropically etched silicon and collected by a thermopile array. Fourier's law and Laplace's equation were utilized to build the temperature field equations under appropriate boundary conditions in two-dimensions Cartesian coordinates, while FEM was used to calculate the temperature field and model conduction. Meanwhile, several available results for optimum design are reported.